US Draft Resolution on Women's Political Participation Needs Work

Women's rights advocates are calling for concrete measures to increase women's political participation in a US draft resolution that will be considered by the United Nations this month. The resolution is intended to highlight the need for more women in political office, but "for real change to occur, we have to move beyond rhetoric to reality," according to June Zeitlin, executive director of the Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO).

WEDO proposes including in the resolution concrete, time-bound numerical goals of increasing women's political participation. The group supports proportional representation, in which political parties are awarded legislative seats according to their percentage of the total vote. WEDO points out that the 14 countries with the most women in parliamentary seats use some kind of proportional representation or quota system, as opposed to the US, which ranks 60th globally in the number of women participating in the federal government.

After pressure from women's rights groups, the Bush Administration has included a reference to CEDAW, the international women's treaty, in the draft resolution. The US is the only industrialized nation that has not signed the treaty. "Here is a golden opportunity," said Zeitlin. "With a snap of his fingers, President Bush could muster 67 votes in the Republican-controlled Senate to ratify CEDAW immediately. This would put some instant reality behind his rhetoric in support of women's rights and some credibility behind US pressure on other countries to provide these rights."

Along with WEDO, the Center for Women's Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE), and the Communications Consortium Media Center (CCMC), the Feminist Majority released a scorecard grading the Bush Administration on its rhetoric on global women's issues compared to the reality. Bush received an "Incomplete" on CEDAW. "The Bush Administration's often-voiced commitment to women's rights in Afghanistan and globally is undermined by their continued refusal to support CEDAW ratification," said Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority.

2/27/2015 This Bipartisan Bill Will Hold Colleges Accountable for Ending Campus Sexual Assault - A bipartisan bill aimed at holding colleges and universities accountable for rape and sexual assault cases was introduced in Congress yesterday, spearheaded by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
Some of the Campus Accountability and Safety Act's key key provisions include a requirement of confidential reporting systems on colleges and universities, minimum training requirements for campus personnel, and stricter penalties for schools found to be in violation of Title IX or the Clery Act. . . .

2/26/2015 If This Bill Passes Federal Law Will Add Consent to Sex Ed Curriculums - Right now, federal law does not require health or sex education to include sexual assault prevention - but that could change with a new bill introduced by Senators Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Tim Kaine (D-VA).
The Teach Safe Relationships Act of 2015, which was introduced earlier this month, would require all public secondary schools in the country to include teaching "safe relationship behavior" in order to help prevent domestic violence and sexual assault. . . .